Development Vocab

AP Psych

Temperament

Definition: An aspect of personality concerned with emotional dispositions and reactions and their speed and intensity

Characteristics/Facts:

• adaptability

• mood

• intensity

Examples: sanguine (warm, optimistic, social) and melancholic (analytical, quiet, nostalgic)

Non-examples: placidity and numbness

Norm

Definition: The rules about what is acceptable to do and say in certain situations

Characteristics/Facts:

• well-being

• character virtue

Examples: not marrying a cousin or not wearing a hat during the national anthem. These are not talked about but are known by individuals to not be acceptable behavior

Non-examples: laws like stopping at a stop sign or not killing people. These are always in effect rather than norms which are unwritten and thought to simply be common sense

Aggression

Definition: behavior that is intended to harm another individual

Characteristics/Facts:

• hostility

• threatening

• violent

Examples: physical violence and verbal hostility

Non-examples: compliance and peaceful behaviors

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Definition: a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others

Characteristics/Facts:

• problems with social communication and interaction

• restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests

Examples: repetitive movements, unusual mannerisms, and challenges with social interactions

Non-examples: speech delays and hearing problems or disorders like anxiety and ADHD

Dementia

Definition: a group of diseases and illnesses that affect your thinking, memory, reasoning, personality, mood, and behavior

Characteristics/Facts:

• confusion

• memory loss

• difficulty concentrating

Examples: Alzheimers, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia

Non-examples: depression and infections or difficulties remembering things on occasion like where you left your keys or your password

Abstract Thinking

Definition: The ability to understand concepts that are real, such as freedom or vulnerability, but which are not directly tied to concrete physical objects and experiences

Characteristics/Facts:

• understand concepts that are not real

• not directly tied to concrete physical objects and experiences

Examples: reorganizing a room or theoretical ideas

Non-examples: concrete thinking and struggling to conceptualize complex problems based on facts and experiences.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Definition: potentially traumatic events that happen during childhood

Characteristics/Facts:

• increased risk of certain health problems

• increased risk of mental health difficulties

• increased risk of violence and becoming a victim of violence

Examples: verbal abuse, emotional neglect, and physical abuse

Non-examples: caring family and direct family members are all still alive